I have held for some time now that Sicily is Italy’s most exciting wine region. I am not saying it is the best mind you, just the most exciting. It’s the wild west of Italian wine with the gamut ranging from pioneers like COS to maverick’s like Frank Cornelissen to up and comers like Arianna Occhipinti. ...

Monteraponi is not only one of the most up and coming estates in Chianti, but one of the finest. The estate run by Michele Braganti located in Radda in Chianti has been in the family since 1974 but Michele only began making wine in 2003. And in the span of a decade Monteraponi has quickly...

As I reflect back on 2012 I can honestly say that it was my luckiest year yet when it comes to wine. I was fortunate enough to have drunk more great wine more often with more great people than any other year. This is a blessing. And in some ways a curse. Whatever, I have...

After the Brunellogate scandal a few years back and despite the recent criminal tragedy at Soldera, Brunello di Montalcino stands at a moment of renaissance. A second act if you will. With the recent publication of the very fine and wonderfully opinionated book Brunello di Montalcino by Kerin O’Keefe, we may be seeing a lot...

When you combine a good cause with some of Serralunga’s finest Barolos and Levi Dalton you call it a win, win situation (or is it wine, win?). On a recently chilly New York City night, a group of willing and able folks trekked to Dumbo in order to taste Serralunga’s best Barolo Crus and raise...

Somebody once told me that the difference between Barolo and Burgundy is that Barolo always tastes like Barolo. Well.. I think that’s a load of crap. I can think of no better way to prove this than with two of my favorite Nebbiolo wines which we shared with family this Thanksgiving holiday: Burlotto Monvigliero Barolo...

If there is one thing I have learned about wine it’s that wine drunk alone can only be good. To be great it must be drunk with others. This proved true on a recent night when friends new and old came together for a Tuscan wine dinner at Aurora in Brooklyn. I had tried a...

I live in NYC. Okay, well Brooklyn actually, but you know what I mean. And I have been lucky enough to meet a lot of great people who are involved with wine, be it in the industry or as a consumer, or somewhere in between. So it comes with the territory in a place like...

I am not sure if I find more great wines randomly or by recommendation? Case in point, Monteraponi. I have been discovering some hidden gems in unexpected places as of late. These wonderful discoveries have yielded a few life altering wines like Monteraponi. The 2008 Monteraponi Chianti Classico Riserva is one of the best bottles...

Chianti often gets ignored in the short list of great Italian wines. Especially with Brunello di Montalcino sitting nearby. But there is something inherent to the best Chianti’s that really speaks to a real sense of Italianess. The wines of Felsina have always embodied that to me. I am not sure if anyone else out...

The recent Barolo hot streak continues with Cavallotto, another great classic styled producer. With the recent discovery of Fenocchio, I am adding Cavallotto to my short list of great traditional styled Barolo producers. If the 2003 Bricco Boschis is any indication, these guys are doing all the right things. There is no barrique signature here,...

Chainti don’t get the love it deserves. Though the wicker basket, spaghetti and meatballs days may be long gone, there is still not a lot of love out there for what might be Italy’s signature wine. And while my heart may lie further north, there is no denying the place of a good bottle of...